Banned for Being Poor

That the Parliament condemns the decision of the UK Government to deny visas to five teams from Africa who had hoped to participate in the Homeless World Cup 2005, which was held in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, despite the fact that tournament organisers had been working with the Government for months arranging entry for the participating countries; notes that the teams who were excluded by the UK Government are from Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia; finds it ironic that the reason given for the rejection was that the teams did not have sufficient funds to support themselves, when only a couple of weeks earlier during Live 8 events the same Government was wringing its hands and promising to help the poor in Africa yet was not willing to allow some of the poorest people from the poorest countries, who have climbed huge personal mountains in terms of getting fit and being part of a team in order to participate in the games, to even enter the United Kingdom; is concerned that poorer people are discriminated against in this way; regrets the disappointment and rejection felt by the teams and their supporters, and sends greetings and solidarity to all concerned.